


Nighttime Encounter

by HazelDomain



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cursed Castiel, Gen, Nightmares, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Sam Winchester, Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8364097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelDomain/pseuds/HazelDomain
Summary: Cas gets hit with a curse. Even though he's an angel, he starts needing to sleep. And when he sleeps, he has nightmares. Horrific things that leave him shaking and terrified even though he knows they are not real.





	

Castiel sat straight up, the scream dying in his throat as he grasped at wings that weren’t there. 

He closed his eyes, the cold sweat turning clammy on his skin. He could still feel it, the wet ripping yank of an angel blade slicing through skin and muscle. 

He felt sick. 

He slid his feet over the side of the bed, toes pressing to the cold concrete. 

In the dream, it had been glass, broken shards slicing into him as he fled. 

For all the good it did him. 

His fingers tensed on the edge of the mattress, and he forced himself to stand. 

A dream. That’s all. Another nightmare. 

It wasn’t real. There was no danger. 

He stood in the darkness of his room, finding his way to the door through memory more than sight. 

This was becoming familiar to him, now. 

The bunker’s hallways were dimly lit at night, just enough light to help the occupants in an emergency. Castiel made his way to the bathroom. He’d get a glass of water, wash his face… more than likely peel off his shirt to verify that the phantom wounds hadn’t left a mark. 

Then he’d be able to go back to sleep. 

Back to another nightmare. 

 

When he left the bathroom to trudge back to his room, Sam was waiting for him. The hunter stood in the darkened doorway of his own bedroom, waiting. 

“Hello, Sam.” 

“What’s up with you, man?” 

Cas rubbed his eyes. 

“I just got up for some water. I’m sorry if I woke you.” 

“You’re out here four or five times a night, which is weird even  _ without _ the fact that you shouldn’t need to sleep at all.” 

Cas sighed. 

“I’m… unaccustomed to this. The process of dreaming has been startling to me.”

Sam frowned. 

“You’re dreaming, too?” 

“Yes,” Castiel said, resignedly. “Vividly.” 

“About what?” 

Castiel sighed, leaning against the wall opposite Sam’s door. 

“Just now I dreamed that Raphael’s angels had captured me, and were cutting my wings off,” he said. “But sometimes they are more mundane, such as accidents or the deaths of people I care for.” 

“Jesus,” Sam breathed. “Aren’t they ever anything… good?” 

Castiel shook his head.

“Not in my experience.” He paused. “I wasn’t aware that you could hear me out here. I’ll stay in my own room from now on.”

He stood, turning back in the direction of his bedroom. 

“Cas, wait.” 

“Yes?” 

Sam was still in the doorway, looking hesitant. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his sweatpants. 

“When I was… little, you know? I used to have nightmares. About… well. About monsters.” 

Cas remained motionless, listening. Sam kept his eyes down. 

“And this is, like, weird. I know. But when I was little, I used to get up and go sleep in Dean’s bed. And he’d uh… he’d hold me. And it helped.” 

Cas frowned. 

“You think I should go sleep with Dean?” 

Sam laughed, quiet, ducking his head. 

“No, not…. just, someone you trust, you know? Someone who makes you feel safe.” 

Sam’s eyes darted up, just for a second, then dropped again. Castiel was confused. Something about this conversation was making the human uncomfortable. 

“I apologize, Sam, but I’m missing something here. The subtleties of social graces are still somewhat lost on me.” 

Sam huffed out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head softly. 

“Yeah. Uh. Do you… do you want to come to bed with me?” 

He glanced up, taking in Castiel’s look of confusion. 

“I’m not implying anything,” he added quickly. “Literally what I said. It might help with the… with the dreams.” 

“If I’m waking you, I can stay in my room,” Cas said slowly. “This isn’t your problem to solve.” 

He didn’t know much, but he knew there were distinct implications to adult humans sharing a bed. Particularly if physical contact was involved. 

“Yeah, no, I know,” Sam said, shrugging. “It’s just… you’re not waking me. Ever since the pit, I uh… I don’t have such great dreams either.” 

He looked up then, his eyes dark in the early morning gloom. There was something there, something Castiel couldn’t identify.

The angel nodded, and followed Sam back into his room. The door clicked softly shut behind them. 

  
  


It wasn’t nearly as awkward as Sam had feared. He’d expected hesitation, maybe some negotiation, but none of that happened. He climbed into bed and Castiel tucked right in next to him, his head on Sam’s shoulder, one arm over Sam’s broad chest. After a second, he shifted, drawing one of his knees up over Sam’s hip. 

Sam smiled in the darkness, wrapping his free arm around Cas’s shoulders. 

The angel dropped off almost immediately, his breathing slow and steady against Sam’s shirt. 

Sam didn’t think he’d be able to fall asleep so quickly. He trusted Castiel-  _ intimately- _ but it was still strange to have someone so large in his bed. 

He closed his eyes, listening to the soft sounds of the bunker, feeling the reassuring warmth of Castiel’s body pressed to his side. 

He was out within five minutes, and neither of them dreamed. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I think this might be the most innocent fic I've ever written. 
> 
> ... I blame the smol bean.   
> She's a smol lemon now.


End file.
